Nissan Leaf: The Top Products of 2010

Brilliant Idea: A pure EV with space for five, a moderate price and enough range for most tasks—plus, an operating cost that's irresistibly low.

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Sep 27, 2010

It's not the first pure EV, but the Leaf is hitting the mainstream like none of its predecessors. At $33,720 ($26,220 after the federal rebate), the Leaf costs the same as an average car and offers a 100-mile range—enough to cover the needs of the vast majority of commuters and errand runners. More than 13,000 U.S. buyers have already plunked down $99 deposits, and Nissan hopes to soon move 150,000 units a year worldwide. The car is eerily quiet to drive. "The vehicle is equipped with a sound generator just so people can hear it coming," says Paul Hawson, product planner for the Leaf. But the real triumph lies in its family-car practicality and normalcy. And since electricity is cheaper than gas, the Leaf delivers lower operating costs. A rational EV that doesn't drive like a science project? About time.

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User Interface

The Leaf's digital display and navigation system plot the most efficient routes and suggest ways to extend range—for example, by reducing the a/c. Drivers will also be able to track their performance online and compare themselves to other Leaf owners.

Charging

Two plugs are located in the nose: a standard Level II 220-volt charger that fills the batteries in about 8 hours and a Level III quick charger that hits 80 percent in 30 minutes. The juice needed for 100 miles runs about $3—less than half of the cost of gas for the same trip.

(Illustration by Razvan Maftei)

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Torque

While the Leaf's electric motor produces only 107 hp, it offers a peak 207 lb-ft of torque at 0 rpm. In other words: Unlike a gas car, it can pop off the line with an immediate and steady stream of power. While braking, the motor also charges the battery.

Battery Pack

With no gas-engine backup, the Leaf's 24-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is both larger and uses a greater percentage of its capacity than the Volt's pack does. Although both companies are tight-lipped about details, the Leaf's 192 cells have a slightly different chemistry. They're also stacked horizontally, like books on a table, to form a compact pallet under the floor, freeing up interior space for five passengers.